4 days ago
Hong Kong activist's father denies security law breach over handling finances
The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has denied handling his daughter's financial assets in breach of the domestic national security law.
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Merchant Kwok Yin-sang, the father of US-based activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, pleaded not guilty before West Kowloon Court on Wednesday.
The 68-year-old defendant is the first person to be charged with a non-sedition-based offence under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which was enacted in accordance with a requirement under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution.
He is alleged to have breached a prohibition against handling an absconder's financial assets by trying to withdraw money from a life and personal accident insurance policy with AIA International under Anna Kwok's name.
The offence carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years.
The defendant is the father of Anna Kwok, who is among eight activists who had HK$1 million bounties placed on their heads in 2023 for allegedly violating the Beijing-decreed 2020 national security law. Photo: Facebook/annakwokfy
Senior Public Prosecutor Vincent Lee Ting-wai revealed that two insurance company employees and a police officer involved in the investigation could be called to testify in the two-day trial.
